Perovskia plant named ‘Blue Jean Baby’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental, hardy, Russian Sage plant,  Perovskia  ‘Blue Jean Baby’ with short, dense habit of strong erect stems that remain upright through the growing season. The new plant is vigorous with many large, densely-arranged lavender-blue flowers on branched stems. Foliage is silvery-green, highly-dissected, pinnately-compound with crenate margins and is retained well and keeps its leaves throughout the growing season.

Botanical classification: Perovskia atriplicifolia (Benth.).

Variety denomination: ‘Blue Jean Baby’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct plant of Russiansage, botanically known as Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Blue Jean Baby’ andwill be referred to hereinafter also by its cultivar name ‘Blue JeanBaby’ and the new plant. The new plant cultivar of Perovskia is a hardyherbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

Perovskia ‘Blue Jean Baby’ is from seed from a selfing of siblings inpopulation of the proprietary unreleased hybrid grex known as K10-01collected by the inventor in the fall of 2011 at a wholesale perennialnursery in Zeeland, Mich. All subsequent evaluations were performed in afull-sun trial garden at the same nursery with loamy sand soil andirrigation and fertilizer as required. The single seedling plant wasselected for further evaluation during the summer of 2012 and given thebreeder designation “11-01-04.” The plant was propagated by stemcuttings at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. and the original plantand the cuttings evaluated over the next two years until final approvalfor introduction in the summer of 2014. The resultant asexuallypropagated cuttings have been stable and identical to the original plantin successive asexual propagations.

No plants of Perovskia ‘Blue Jean Baby’ have been sold in this country,under this or any name, or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing ofthis application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been madeprior to the filing of this application with the exception of that whichwas disclosed within one year of the filing of this application and wasderived either directly or indirectly from the inventor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Blue Jean Baby’ differs from its parent aswell as all other hardy Russian sage known to the inventor in acombination of traits. The following characteristics in combinationdistinguish ‘Blue Jean Baby’ from all other Perovskia plants known tothe inventor:

-   -   1. Short dense habit with erect strong stems that remains        upright through the growing season;    -   2. Long flowering season of large, densely-arranged,        lavender-blue flowers on short branched stems;    -   3. Effective flowering time extended with smoky purple calyxes;    -   4. Silvery-green, highly-dissected, pinnately compound and        serrated foliage retained throughout growing season.    -   5. Vigorous growth rate.

The nearest comparison plants known to the inventor are the parent plantPerovskia ‘LISSLITT’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,845, ‘Peek-a-Blue’ (notpatented), and ‘Rocketman’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,526 and ‘Denim 'nLace’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,445. Compared to the cultivar ‘LISSLITT’,Perovskia ‘Blue Jean Baby’ is slightly taller with more upright stemsless prone to lodging, and more upright and denser branching. Comparedto ‘Peek-a-Blue’ the new plant has denser more upright branches andcoarser leaf divisions and is less prone for foliage to turn yellow anddrop lower leaves. Compared to ‘Denim 'n Lace’ the new plant has lessdense terminal calyxes, broader habit, with more stems and morevigorous.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance ofthe plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation incolor. The plant used in the photograph is a five-year old plant grownin full sun field in loamy sand soil in trial gardens of a nursery inZeeland, Mich.

FIG. 1 shows ‘Blue Jean Baby’ in the landscape.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flower stems of ‘Blue Jean Baby’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of Perovskia atripicifolia ‘BlueJean Baby’ as observed and compared to other cultivars for five years intrial gardens and production fields at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Thefollowing description is of a five-year old plant of Perovskiaatripicifolia ‘Blue Jean Baby’ in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland,Mich. with limited irrigation as needed and without any pinching orplant growth regulators. The new plant has not been observed under allpossible environments, and the phenotype may vary slightly withdifferent environmental conditions, such as temperature, light,fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in thegenotype. The color descriptions are in accordance with the 2001 editionof The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, England, except where common dictionarycolor terms are used.

-   Plant habit: Upright and dense shape; oppositely branched;    deciduous, semi-woody sub-shrub usually dying to the ground in most    Michigan winters and re-sprouting with new stems from the base each    spring; about 64 stems per plant;-   Plant size: To about 100.0 cm in height, average stem height of    about 92.0 cm, and about 115.0 cm in width about 25 cm above soil;-   Root description: Fibrous; color nearest RHS 155D;-   Propagation: Stem cuttings; root initiation occurs in about 14 days    at a temperature of 20° C.;-   Growth rate: Vigorous;-   Crop time: About 10 to 14 weeks to produce flowering plant from    rooted plug;-   Stem description: Quadangular; oppositely branched; young portions    lanulose; older stems becoming woody at base; average about 92.0 cm    long and about 7.0 mm across near base; about 30 branches per stem;    with herbal fragrance;-   Stem color: Between RHS 191B and RHS 191C;-   Internode length: Average 3.0 cm;-   Internode color: Same as surrounding stem;-   Branches: Quadangular; opposite; lanulose; average about 55° angle    above horizontal; lower branches about 19.0 cm long and about 3.0 mm    diameter, decreasing distally to upper branches about 6.0 cm long    and about 1.0 mm diameter;-   Branch color: Nearest RHS 191D;-   Foliage description: Opposite, broadly ovate; compounded lobed,    palmately cleft nearly to midrib; acute apex and lobes, narrowly    attenuate base; margin lobed to crenate, farinose on abaxial and    puberulent on adaxial surface; to about 7.0 cm long and about 3.8 mm    wide, shorter in distal region, average about 5.0 cm long and about    2.0 cm wide; with herbal fragrance;-   Leaf color: Adaxial blend between RHS N138B and RHS 191B; abaxial    blend between RHS N138C and RHS 191B;-   Leaf venation: Pinnate; glandular adaxial and abaxial;-   Vein color: Main adaxial vein nearest RHS 147B; abaxial midrib    between RHS 145C and RHS 145D;-   Petiole: Flattened abaxial to adaxial; sessile to about 9.0 mm long    and about 1.5 mm across, average about 3.5 mm long and about 1.2 mm    across at stem;-   Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS 147B; abaxial between RHS 145C    and RHS 145D;-   Peduncle: Main stems vertical, branched verticillate panicle; about    10.0 cm tall above last branch and about 2.5 cm across; total    inflorescence portion average about 50.0 cm tall and about 12.0 cm    wide;-   Peduncle color: Proximally nearest RHS 191D, distally between RHS    191B and RHS 191A;-   Pedicel: Terete; glabrous; about 1.2 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138B with tinting of nearest RHS N79B;-   Flower buds about one day prior to opening: About 9.0 mm long and    about 2.0 mm wide; long ovoid; rounded apex; rounded base; abaxial    calyx with dense pubescence about 1.0 mm long;-   Bud color: Abaxial calyx hairs nearest RHS 83D; abaxial calyx base    nearest RHS 138C with veins and tinting to solid nearest RHS N79B    with increasing light exposure; extended unopened petal portion    between RHS 96C and RHS 96B;-   Flowers: Perfect, zygomorphic, bilabiate with upper and lower lip    fused in about basal 6.5 mm; about 14.0 mm long and about 7.0 mm    across; face opening to nearly flat; up to 18 flowers per verticil    and over 800 per main stem;-   Flower attitude: Outward and slightly drooping;-   Fragrance: Slight herbal;-   Corolla: Glabrous abaxial, adaxial throat puberulent; bilabitate;    upper lip four-lobed, each with rounded apex and about 1.0 mm across    at fusion and about 9.0 mm long, together about 6.0 m across, fused    in basal 7.5 mm; lower lip entire, nearly flat with rounded apex;    about 9.0 mm long and about 2.0 mm wide at fusion point; basal 5.0    mm fused into tube; tube about 2.5 mm in width;-   Corolla color: Adaxial upper and lower lips nearest RHS 94B, adaxial    tube lighter than RHS 92D and proximal one half of fused lips    nearest RHS 92D; distal upper and lower lips abaxial nearest RHS    94B, distal one half of tube lighter than RHS 94D and proximal one    half of tube nearest RHS 92D;-   Gynoecium: One pistil;    -   -   Style.—About 6.0 mm long and about 0.2 mm diameter; color            white, lighter than RHS 155D.        -   Stigma.—Bifurcate in the terminal 0.5 mm, about 0.3 mm            across; color white, lighter than RHS 155D.        -   Ovary.—Oblong globose; about 1.0 mm long and 0.7 mm across;            color nearest RHS 145C.-   Androecium: Four, in two sets, two longer and fertile and two    shorter and sterile; stamens adnate to corolla about 3.0 mm from    base;    -   -   Filaments (fertile pair).—Exserted about 2.0 mm beyond lower            lip; about 7.0 mm in length and less than about 0.5 mm in            width; color nearest RHS 155D at base and gradually            developing to nearest RHS 77D toward apex.        -   Filaments (sterile pair).—Fused to upper lip, about 3.0 mm            long and less than 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 155D            at base and nearest RHS 77D in about apical 0.5 mm.        -   Anther.—Fertile pair elliptic; about 0.5 mm long and 0.2 mm            across, versatile; color nearest RHS 79A; sterile pair            flattened ovoid, about 0.5 mm long and about 0.3 mm            diameter; color nearest RHS 79A.        -   Pollen.—Abundant on fertile anthers; color nearest RHS 11D.-   Calyx: Tubular campanulate; about 6.0 mm long and about 2.0 mm    across; made up of five sepals fused at base in the proximal about    5.0 mm with apical about 1.0 mm separate; entire, apex acute;    outside densely pubescent and glandular with hairs about 1.0 mm    long, inside glabrous; persistent for weeks after flower abscission    and drop;-   Calyx color: Abaxial color at flowering and after base nearest RHS    138C with veins and tinting in higher light exposure nearest RHS    N79B to solid RHS N79B in highest light exposures, and dense hairs    nearest RHS 83D; adaxial color nearest RHS 147D with veins nearest    RHS 187A;-   Seed: Spatulate in outline, rounded apex and attenuate base; up to    four per flower, typically one per flower; about 2.0 mm long and    about 1.0 mm diameter at widest portion and about 0.5 mm thick;    color nearest RHS 200A; Hardiness of the new plant is at least    U.S.D.A. zones 4 to 9. The new plant is highly resistant to drought    once established.    -   -   Pest and disease resistance.—Russian sage is typically            resistant to deer and rodent browsing. The new plant is less            prone to yellowing foliage and lower leaf drop than other            known Russian sage cultivars. No other susceptibility or            resistance to diseases or pests has been observed except            that which is common to Perovskia.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of hardy Russian sageplant, Perovskia ‘Blue Jean Baby’ as herein described and illustrated.